Adaptogens.

>Hello all: I suffer from FM that seems to be partially caused (at least) by autoimmune hashimoto's. In a prev post HERB ASSIST mentions that Hashi's can be addressed with adaptogens and vit C with flavoniods. What would adaptogens be, and how would they modulate Hashi's?

Adaptogenic herbs include schisandra berry, astragalus, suma, Siberian ginseng, licorice root, and ashwaganda. They work by supporting the adrenal glands which play a role in immune function. In the case of autoimmune disorders, such as Hasimoto's thyroidosis, they help in correcting the overproduction of low affinity (nonspecific) antibodies.

[Hashimoto's is one of the more intractable autoimmune hypothyroid problems. I haven't had any luck using adaptogens for advanced Hashimoto's. -- Henriette]

I think HA was just listing some of the adaptogens... Of course the Panax ginsengs are adaptogenic herbs. But most of the ones HA listed are more accessible and less expensive than them. I consider stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) to be adaptogenic in terms of how it supports the adrenals as well as kidney function.